Modern Dog/Animal Trainers in the South Bay Area. This group meets once a month on the 2nd Friday in the SF South Bay Area. Please visit our website for more information about our group.

Meeting: July 11, 2008
Location: Emily Burlingame's house in San Jose
Topic: Functional Behavior Assessment-Analysis

"What is an FBA? Functional Behavioral Assessments are a problem-solving process for addressing problem behaviors. The FBA focuses on identifying the purposes of specific behavior and to guide and select interventions to directly address the problem behavior. Functional Behavioral Assessments should be integrated throughout the process of developing, reviewing, and, if necessary, revising a behavior plan, both in school and at home.

A Functional Behavioral Assessment looks beyond the behavior itself. The focus when conducting an FBA is on identifying significant and specific social, affective, cognitive, and environmental factors associated with the occurrence (and non-occurrence) of specific behaviors. This broader perspective offers a better understanding of the function or purpose behind the behavior. Behavioral intervention plans based on an understanding of the function of the behavior are extremely useful in addressing a wide range of problem behaviors. The research indicates that behavior plans developed as a result of a comprehensive FBA are 50% more likely to be effective than programs developed without going through an FBA prior to implementing a behavior intervention plan."Reinforcement Unlimited.